The Five Scarves - Dragonkin Ascension Part 3
by RaceProUK
Summary: (Book 2 of 3, Part 3 of 5) Shang Tu is under attack! The city's defences mobilise to repel the invading Jade Alliance, led by Aquila and the Grand Masters. But it's not enough: Shang Tu needs outside help. And it falls to Maria and Xander to get it.
1. Chapter 1

" _Incoming!_ " Maria screams.

Gong unslings his shield and hunkers down behind it, pulling the Magister down with him; Danny sprints across the throne room, bundling Sally to the floor; Rob, Maria, and Xander throw themselves flat; the guards form a phalanx in front of them, shields raised.

The rocket strikes a balcony pillar, detonating on impact.

The shockwave of the explosion briefly deafens everyone in the throne room. Chunks of masonry and clouds of dust fly into the room; if they weren't deafened by the detonation, they'd be deafened by the clang of marble on metal.

As quickly as it started, it's over; as the dust settles, Gong and the Scarves rise to survey the damage. The balcony is a mess of shattered marble, a few of the guards have been taken out, and while Sally is conscious, Danny is not; there's an alarming rich red stain in his blond hair.

Maria is the first to notice. "Danny?" she whimpers, fearing the worst.

Gong is next to spot the injured Scarf. " _Someone get that badger to the infirmary immediately!_ "

Two of the remaining guards make straight for Danny, beating Rob and Xander, and carry him off to the infirmary. A third helps Sally follow; she holds her left leg in the air, clearly unwilling to put any weight on it.

"Will he be OK?" Maria asks, close to tears.

"We have some of the finest medical facilities in the Three Kingdoms," the Magister assures.

"Everyone clear the room!" Gong commands. "Your Excellency, you must proceed to the safe room; as for you Scarves, you can-"

"Be Gong's lieutenants while repelling the Jade Alliance," the Magister interrupts.

"Your Excellency!" Gong protests.

"You have not met the Jade Alliance, they have," the Magister explains. "Use their wisdom and insight to repel the Alliance from my city," he commands; without waiting for a reply, the Magister departs for the safe room.

Gong sighs in exasperation. "As you wish. Scarves, with me."

* * *

A few minutes later, deep within the Royal Palace, Gong, Rob, Maria, and Xander assemble in the War Room.

"Tell me everything you know about the Jade Alliance," Gong demands.

* * *

"And that is everything we know," Rob finishes several minutes later.

Gong takes a few moments to digest the intelligence; before long, he makes a command decision. "I know the Magister wants you to fight by my side, but I also know my forces won't take commands from Red Scarves, no matter how noble your intentions may be. Besides, we need reinforcements, and we can't risk launching any aircraft; if they can fire a rocket at the throne room, they can shoot down an airship. Therefore, you three will use your training to escape the city and contact Team Lilac; we'd phone them, but the lines have been taken out. Once contact has been established, you will then proceed to Shang Mu, where you will persuade, cajole, even bribe that fool of a mayor into sending his army and air fleet."

"Yes sir!" Maria and Xander salute.

"I want to stay and fight," Rob declares.

"Your skills are best suited to the mission I have set you," Gong counters.

"Maria and Xander are more than capable of completing that mission without my help," Rob insists.

"I have chosen the mission best suited to-" the General starts.

"With all due respect general, you can shove your mission where the sun doesn't shine. Captain Aquila Kawaguchi has, in the last few months, enslaved me and my friends, left us on a spaceship to die, kidnapped my girlfriend, and now he's attacking my home city," Rob explains. "I will stay and fight. And there is nothing you can say to make me do otherwise."

Gong pauses for a moment. "Very well. But you will obey my direct orders only."

"I'm better flying solo, and you know it," Rob states factually.

"Fine," Gong relents. "We're wasting too much time anyway. Do what you must." He then turns to Maria and Xander. "This is breaking the promise I made to them, but the situation demands it; here are directions to Lilac's treehouse." Taking up a notebook and pen he scribbles for a few moments; he then tears out the page and hands it to Maria, who takes it and pockets it. "Memorise them, then destroy them; they value their privacy, and I will not be responsible for them losing that. Now go."

With a sloppy salute, Maria and Xander begin their mission.


	2. Chapter 2

With Maria and Xander on their way out of the city, Rob is left alone with General Gong.

"This goes against good judgement in almost every way I can imagine," Gong sighs, "but I'm going to brief you on the city's defences. You'll need to know where the strong points and weak points are, so you can tailor your own actions to suit."

"Just give me the chance at Aquila, and I'll end the whole thing," Rob states flatly.

"This isn't some robbery or assassination, Scarf," Gong spits. "This is a military operation, and you will do as I command. I'm already giving you a lot more freedom than I should. Don't make me regret it."

"Cut off the head, and the body will die. Simple as that."

"Not when the assaulting force is the size you describe."

"Worked against Shuigang, when Dail was under Brevon's control."

"Only because we went after both heads at the same time. And as you just said, _King_ Dail was under Brevon's control; once that was broken, he was himself again. He called for the Shuigang surrender; without that, it's not clear we would have won."

Rob tries to come up with another argument, but is stopped short when Gong continues.

"On the battlefield, the ninja is best deployed as misdirection. Sow the seeds of doubt and confusion among the lower ranks, and it'll bubble up the chain of command. If done right, it could stall their whole attack."

"Yet you were going to send all three of us out of the city," Rob points out.

"Because we need reinforcements, and as much as I don't want to admit it, the Scarves are the best at being able to evade capture. But since you refused to accept that mission, I'm forced to plan B. Now pay attention."

As the general describes the city's defensive capabilities, he begins to receive strategy updates from the field; several defence posts have already fallen, and the Jade Alliance is beginning to penetrate the inner city.

"These guys really did their research; they know _exactly_ where to hit us…" Gong sighs.

"Then our best bet is to let me go free-roam," Rob offers. "Surgical strikes where they least expect it."

"You'll need a firearm; your sai aren't going to be enough."

"Then give me the key to the armoury. And before you suggest the Scarves armoury, remember that that is outside the city."

Gong curses violently. "It looks like I have no choice. I'll take you myself; I can't do much good right now anyway. And I expect whatever you check out to be returned the _instant_ we drive the Jades out of the city."

" _Now_ we're getting somewhere," Rob grins darkly.


	3. Chapter 3

While Gong briefs Rob, Maria and Xander make their way back to the Palace entrance to reclaim their vehicles and head out of the city, conversing en route.

"Why does Rob want to stay so badly?" Maria asks Xander. "He's never shown any attachment to Shang Tu before."

"It's his home city," Xander reminds.

"Yeah, but your home city is Shuigang, and you helped weaken their defences when Shang Mu and Shang Tu allied against them during that Brevon thing."

"That was different; the future of the whole world was at stake."

Maria thinks a moment. "Captain Icky's after the Crystals… if he gets them, then that could be the case again."

"Then we'd better get moving on those reinforcements."

"Right."

Moments later, Maria and Xander reach the main entrance hall. The guards at the bottom of the staircase part as soon as Xander makes his presence known; the guards at the main entrance however are less congenial.

"Sorry guys, palace is on lockdown; no-one's allowed in or out without express permission from General Gong," one of the guards informs Maria and Xander as they approach.

"Good thing we're on a mission from Gong himself then!" Maria replies.

"Very funny," the second guard retorts frostily. "Now back away and be a good kitty."

"See this scarf?" Maria growls. "See how red it is? What does that tell you?"

"So you're Red Scarves," the first guard comments. "Making it even _less_ likely the general has given you a mission."

"Then let's try this," Maria continues, drawing her blades, violence flashing in her eyes. "Would you rather have two highly trained assassins with a double-figure body count trapped this side of the door, or the other side?" Xander flexes his muscles and draws his tonfa.

The two guards exchange nervous looks. The first guard gives a nod; the second opens a small door within the main door. "Move it," the first guard commands.

"Thankyou!" Maria sings with a saccharine smile, sheathing her blades. She leads Xander through the door; the door slams shut behind them.

"Um, where are our vehicles?" Xander asks.

"Right over there, si-" Maria begins, pointing to where their vehicles no longer are. "Right, show me who took them!" she growls, drawing her ninjato again.

Xander returns to the door and pounds on it heavily; a small window is opened at eye-level. "What now?" the first guard from before asks gruffly. "You're not coming back in."

"Where are our vehicles?" Xander demands.

"Try the impound," the guard answers.

"Which is where?"

"Inside the Palace."

"Which is under lockdown."

"Yes."

"So we can't get to our vehicles."

"Correct."

Xander sighs, then backs away from the door. "No go, little one."

"So we need to steal a couple of bikes," Maria growls. "Perfect. Just perfect."


	4. Chapter 4

Two hours after the rocket strike on the throne room; Danny is safe and secure deep in the Palace infirmary, Sally by his side.

"We've done all we can," the medic informs Sally. "He'll definitely wake up, but I'm afraid we can't be certain what his mental state will be; his injury was quite severe, and we know very little about the elixir's ability to heal the brain."

Sally doesn't speak; she simply nods an acknowledgement.

"I'd advise not staying by his side," the medic adds. "When he wakes, he may be unpredictable and violent; the Scarves have a reputation for a reason."

"If it wasn't for him, it'd be me in this healing bath," Sally states; her tone makes it clear she's not going to move.

"As you wish," the medic replies. "I'll station two armed guards outside, just in case."

"No you won't." Again, Sally's tone indicates she will not be argued with.

"Then on your own head be it," the medic declares as he leaves the room.

"Is he gone?" Danny asks when he hears the door close.

Sally jumps at the sound of Danny's voice. "What on… How long have you been awake?"

"Ten minutes?" Danny answers, opening his eyes and looking at Sally. "My sense of time's a little off at the moment, so it may have been longer. Or shorter. Why am I here anyway? My head hurts; does that have something to do with it? Also, I taste blueberries for some reason."

"You took a severe blow to the head when you threw yourself on top of me as a living shield," Sally explains. "Wait, you can taste blueberries?"

"Yeah, it's weird," Danny comments, looking around the room. "Huh, I can't taste them now," he adds.

"Blueberries are my favourite fruit," Sally idly murmurs.

"That's quite the coincidence," Danny remarks, looking back at Sally again. "And now the taste is back."

"So, when you look at me, you taste blueberries?"

Danny looks away and back a few times to test the theory. "Yes."

"Weird."

"Tell me about it." Danny pauses a moment. "Wait, why was I shielding you?"

"The Jade Alliance is attacking Shang Tu," Sally reports, shuddering at the mention of the name.

" _What?_ " Danny exclaims, sitting up; he reclines again as a spell of dizziness blurs his vision and wrecks his balance.

"Just rest; the general and your friends have it covered," Sally soothes.

"I have to help," Danny insists.

"You can't help if you can't even sit without keeling over; another ten minutes, and you'll be fighting fit again."

"OK," Danny relents. "Can you do me a favour though?"

"Depends what it is."

"Can you get my hanbo?"

"Of course. I'll get your clothes as well."

"Good, I'll need- Wait, I'm _naked?_ "

"Well, you are in a bath!"

"Did you-"

"Absolutely not!"

"Let me finish," Danny smiles. "Did you escape injury?"

"Oh," Sally blushes. "Not quite," she continues a moment later, lifting her left leg onto the edge of the bath; it's in a sturdy cast from the knee down. "It's a clean break at least; it'll be fine in six to eight weeks."

"Why didn't you get elixir?"

"Wartime statute; fighters only," Sally explains, lowering her leg again. "I'm an engineer."

"Ah."

"Yeah. Anyway, I'd better get your stuff," Sally decides. "And thanks for protecting me," she adds, kissing Danny on the cheek before picking up her crutches and leaving the room.

"M-My p-pleasure," Danny stammers, blushing at the unexpected kiss.


	5. Chapter 5

As Sally tends to Danny's needs, Rob is out on the city streets, assault rifle in hand; he had selected a compact lightweight model fitted with the optional sniper scope. In the hour or so he'd been on the ground, he'd disabled three separate Jade vehicles, slowing down the advance along those corridors. But it's not enough. The Jades are rolling through Shang Tu with ease; at their current pace, they'll be at the Palace by sundown.

Rob leaves the third disabled vehicle to smoulder in peace, working his way through the narrow alleys of the inner city. _Why did I choose this? This is urban warfare; not exactly my strong point. So far, I've stayed out of trouble, but when there's the possibility of a rogue shell or rocket taking you out without a moment's notice… Dying of thirst and compression, buried in a pile of rubble… it's not a dignified way to go._

Rob reaches one of the main arterial roads leading from the outskirts right to the Palace itself. Peeking out from the alleyway, he spies the Jade command vehicle half a mile away; through his rifle's scope, he sees the familiar form of Aquila in the cupola. _Cut off the head, and the body will die…_

Rob ducks back into the alleyway to look for a way up to the rooftops; he finds a dilapidated fire escape that stops short by a single storey. _It'll have to do._ Rob slings the rifle on his back and scales the fire escape as quickly as he can; pieces fall off as he climbs, clattering loudly in the alleyway. _At least the sound of that is drowned out by the rockets and gunfire… not that that's a comfort…_

At the top of the fire escape, Rob uses his sai to climb the final storey onto the roof; once up, he unslings the rifle and looks for a suitable sniping point. _There's a good spot._ Rob settles in his chosen spot, laying as low and flat as possible; lacking a bipod, he tries to seat the barrel of the rifle in a convenient cut in the masonry.

Rob switches the rifle to single-shot mode, loads a high-velocity AP round, and lines up his target through the scope. _Have to do this without my spotter… my partner… once this is over, I'm coming to rescue you my love._ Rob breathes in, holds for a moment, slowly breathes out, and squeezes the trigger. The mechanism clicks; the bullet is propelled from the barrel with a supersonic crack.

The bullet ricochets harmlessly off the cupola.

Rob curses violently under his breath; he loads a second AP round, and lines up a second shot through the scope-

The rocket strikes the top of the building, just feet from where Rob had rolled away at the last second. With the structure weakened, the roof edge collapses, taking Rob with it; as the dust settles, Rob finds his left leg pinned by a heavy slab of masonry, his smashed rifle just out of reach.

 _First rule of sniping;_ never _shoot from the same place twice._ Rob twists awkwardly to free his leg; it takes four attempts to lift the masonry enough to free his leg completely. Standing, he limps towards the door of the room he landed in. _Got to get out of the building before it's-_

A second rocket strikes the building; the top storey collapses completely.

* * *

Several minutes later, Rob wakes to find himself interred in broken timber and masonry; the only light he can see is a tiny sliver of cloudy blue sky. He tries to move; his limbs are pinned in place. Realising his only hope is rescue, he concedes defeat.

 _I have failed. Again. I had to go after Aquila. I had to let my emotions get the better of me. I should have remembered my training. And I_ definitely _should have taken the general's advice._

 _It's all down to Maria and Xander now… Ancients, I beg of you, see them safe on their mission, and guide them to success._

 _Hanna…_


	6. Chapter 6

When Sally returns with Danny's hanbo and a nurse carrying his clothes, they find the badger not just up, but out of the bath; he is performing a meditative martial dance, wearing only a towel hung from the waist.

"Don't worry, I'm just checking everything works properly," Danny assures when he hears Sally and the nurse enter the room. "In fact, I'm about done."

"Your clothes and weapon, sir," the nurse informs.

"Excellent!" Danny smiles as he finishes his workout; he wastes no time in taking his clothes and getting dressed behind an opaque curtain.

"We'll be fine from here," Sally assures the nurse.

"I still need to run some checks," the nurse insists.

"What sort of checks?" Sally asks.

"Physical movement, basic cognition, pupillary response-" the nurse lists.

"He was performing a martial arts training regimen just now," Sally interrupts. "He's fine."

"And hand-eye co-ordination," the nurse finishes. "And that I _must_ insist on performing."

"Danny, you decent?" Sally asks.

"Almost," Danny replies; a moment later, he emerges fully-dressed.

"Catch!" Sally calls, throwing Danny's hanbo to him; Danny catches it smoothly, spins it in his fingers a few times, performs a few practice combat moves, then sheathes the weapon safely on his back.

"Like she said, I'm fine," Danny winks to the nurse.

"I see that," the nurse agrees; her tone is a little shaky. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other patients to attend to."

"I think you scared her," Sally informs as the nurse hastily leaves the room.

"At least she's out of our hair," Danny comments. "Sorry," he adds a moment later. "I didn't mean-"

"Spines are just very thick, very stiff hairs," Sally shrugs. "Sure, I can't really style them, but at least they can't get tangled. Plus, I can do this." Sally raises her spines so they stick out perpendicular from her head, surrounding her pretty face with a formidable spiky halo. "Pretty cool, eh?" she grins.

"Not many can do both pretty and scary at the same time," Danny smiles. _Stop flirting._ "Anyway, now I'm healed and armed, better get out there and help."

"'Help', yes, 'out', no," Sally informs, lowering her spines to their usual position. "The whole Palace is on lockdown."

"I've got to do _something_ ," Danny insists. "This _is_ my home city, after all. Well, sort of; really, my home city is HQ, but since HQ is within Shang Tu territory…"

"The Crystals need protecting."

"The Magister and Gong seem confident they're safe… I'd better get down there." Danny makes to leave, but pauses. "I'll need someone to take me there."

"But-" Sally begins to protest; she stops when she realises there's no other option. "OK. But you must _not_ let the Magister know I led you to them!"


	7. Chapter 7

"The hare's not getting out of that anytime soon," Hayabusa reports to Aquila as he flies over the building where Rob is interred.

"Good," Aquila replies over the radio. "Any sign of the others?"

"None of the badger, but the wolf and the lynx are heading away from the Palace as quickly as they are able," Hayabusa replies.

" _Then what are you wasting time for?_ " Aquila yells. " _Stop them leaving the city!_ "

"Yessir."

* * *

"Here! Wheels!" Maria calls, sliding to a halt; Xander overshoots and doubles back to join Maria at the bike store she just spotted. "Ooh! This one's _cute!_ " she adds, heading straight for a stylish baby blue model.

"We're escaping a city under siege, and you want to take the one that falls apart every time it hits a puddle?" Xander questions. "We take these," he declares, pulling up a couple of off-road models; he then finds the locked cupboard with the keys, wrenches the door off, and picks out the sets for the two bikes.

"Fine," Maria sighs, catching the set of keys Xander tosses to her. "But once this is over, I'm coming back for that blue one!"

A few moments later, the duo rides away, making the most of their newfound speed.

* * *

Hayabusa pursues the two Scarves as they ride away. _Must stop them; how many do I have? Six; should be enough._

* * *

"We're almost there!" Maria cries out, hope brightening her voice. "Just a mile to the city limits, and we're free!"

"Don't get cocky, little one!" Xander cautions. "As my father always said: 'It's at the moment of victory you're most vulnerable to defeat.'"

"Nonsense!" Maria yells back. "I can see the-"

The road ten feet to Maria's right explodes as Hayabusa's impact grenade strikes the tarmac; shielding herself from the debris, she almost swerves directly into a parked lorry.

"Head down, speed up!" Xander calls; a second later, the road in front and off to one side of him explodes as another grenade hits; he skirts the edge of the hole and continues.

" _Who's throwing those?_ " Maria yells, a mixture of anger and fear fuelling her riding; a third grenade hits a parked car, showering her and Xander with lacerating glass and shrapnel.

" _Who cares? Keep going!_ " Xander yells back as the fourth grenade hits several feet in front of Maria; swerving to avoid the hole, she falls back behind her friend.

"Bit hard when the road keeps-"

The last two grenades strike together between the lynx and the wolf; the detonation throws them clear of their bikes. Maria tumbles down the road as Xander smashes through a bus shelter; as the dust begins to settle, the two Scarves come to a rest, unconsciousness.

* * *

Hayabusa hovers over the two casualties for a full ten minutes before he's sure they're never going to move again; satisfied, he radios the news to Aquila as he departs.


	8. Chapter 8

Half an hour later, Maria stirs. _Ow… in so much pain… can barely move…_ Shakily, she props herself up on her hands and knees; she spits a mouthful of blood onto the tarmac. _Three of my teeth are in there… no, make that four._ Looking around, she sees the smouldering wrecks of the two bikes. _Am I dead? No, that's silly; I'm in too much pain to be dead. Wait…_ two _bikes… Xander!_

Maria scrambles to her feet; after a few attempts, she's standing. "Xander!" she cries repeatedly, each time in increasing panic and desperation.

"Here," Xander replies weakly after the fourth call.

Xander's voice is quiet, but Maria's hearing is easily good enough to pick it up. Her attention snaps to the wreck of the bus shelter; seeing the limp steel blue wolf within, she dashes to his side, falling a few times. "Xander!" she pants when she reaches him. "Are you OK?"

"No, not really," Xander wheezes.

"Sure you are!" Maria counters out of desperation and denial, tears streaming down her face, her voice shaking. "So stop being a big silly and get up!"

"I can't; you'll have to go on without me."

"But-"

"Maria, please listen." Xander raises a shaking arm, placing his unsteady hand on Maria's cheek. "I'm hurt bad, real bad. I can't ride; I don't think I can even stand. For me, the mission is over."

"Please, don't leave me," Maria sobs. "First Hanna, then Danny; I don't want to lose another friend."

Xander's chuckle is interrupted by a fit of hacking and coughing. "I'm not leaving you, little one; you're leaving me."

"I-"

"The fate of Shang Tu rests with you. Now go."

"But-"

"I'll be here when you get back, I promise."

"No, I can't-"

"Do it for Hanna; I know how much you love her. And not just because she saved you."

Maria stares at Xander in surprise. "How…"

"I may be dumb, but I'm not stupid. Plus, your reaction just now kinda gave it away."

"That was a dirty mean trick… thank you."

"Hey, I'm your friend; it's what friends do. Now stop being a silly kitty and go."

With a determined nod, Maria stands and resumes her mission, her heart filled with renewed vigour. _Hanna once saved me from a terrible fate, and now it's up to me to save her. And Xander. And Danny. And Rob. And Shang Tu. And… Is that a sports bike, begging for me to steal it?_

* * *

Midnight; Maria rides through Dragon Valley. _Almost there… just keep going… just keep going…_ Suddenly, the bike splutters and dies; Maria coasts to a halt. _No… not now…_ Maria desperately tries to restart the bike, but the engine refuses to fire; after a few tries, she notices the fuel gauge is reading 'empty'. _That's it then. Game over. I failed Shang Tu. I failed my friends. And worst of all, I failed Hanna._

The magnitude of her failure hits hard. In a daze, Maria dismounts; she walks, zombie-like, away from the useless motorbike, which drops flat into the mud. After a few yards, she falls to her knees, and takes a deep breath.

Maria's scream of anguish and frustration echoes throughout the valley.


End file.
